Pencil Full of Lead

Today is my day off. I have at least a million other things I should be doing (writing about Disney and job hunting spring to mind) but it’s been so long since I did some good and proper sewing… I decided I’d begin a new project. And here it is: an applique pencil case. At first glance it’s possibly one of the most professional looking things I’ve ever made (except perhaps my Union Jack cushion or even the oven gloves I whipped up for my sister).

The pattern I used came from Sew Hip! magazine (Nov 2010, issue 22) and was super easy to follow – 2 rectangular lining pieces, 2 linen pieces, 1 zip and 3 applique pencils. I used bondaweb (for the first time) to do the applique and was surprised by how easy it was! It saves a lot of time being able to literally glue the pieces of fabric together. Saying that, I then went over each picture with several rows of straight stitch to give the pencils that ‘drawn myself’ look.

I used a mixture of pink and floral material for both the lining and the applique to give it that country-cottage feel. The overall result is quite impressive, even if I do say so myself. Oh and if your birthday’s coming up soon then consider yourself very lucky…

Check out my other applique attempts – including birds and flowers – here!

Princesses, McQueens and Future Kings

Kate Middleton – now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – continues to raise the royal fashion bar.

It all began with that blue Issa engagement dress (which I gave 10/10 for in my previous blog post here). Not only did she have a bespoke Alexander McQueen wedding gown (perhaps the long-awaited tribute McQueen himself deserved), Kate then went on to wow us all with this SECOND Sarah Burton ivory floor-sweeper. Complete with jewelled waistband, fitted bodice and a cute cardi – this ‘evening reception dress’ is almost as beautiful as the filigree daytime number.

Several official photographs were taken of the newest additions to the royal family by the talented photographer Hugo Burnand. These include some enormous family shots featuring the adorable bridesmaids and one with the Queen Elizabeth II herself (who donned a fabulous daffodil-yellow outfit for her new grandaughter-in-law’s big day).

Among the official photographs are pictures of Prince William and Kate walking around the grounds of Buckingham Palace. In these photos, Kate is wearing a beautiful cornflower-blue (almost casual) chiffon dress: the second Issa frock we’ve seen in recent weeks. No doubt this one will sell out just as quickly as the first.

On the theme of Royalty, check out my Union Jack cushion design here!

And then we come to those who made some SERIOUS fashion faux-pas. Oh Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, what were you thinking? While Princess Beatrice opted for top-to-toe Vivienne Westwood and Eugenie for Valentino couture- there is something seriously wrong about this combination. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE both of these designers. I think the peacock blues and neutral pastels are stunning. Perhaps it’s the Philip Treacy hats the pair are wearing that just tip them that little bit too far over the line of fashion vs disaster. Maybe these outfits are a little TOO haute couture for a wedding in an abbey built 1000 years ago. It makes me slightly morose to think that these 2 outstanding designers could make anyone look so very, very wrong. If you’re listening Dame Vivienne, Mr Valentino – send your garments to me first next time, yeah?

Queen of the Cushion Age

Sometime I surprise myself by how amazingly creative I actually am. This is one of those moments. I was in Debenhams with my mum earlier on today, and spotted loads of colourful Union Jack cushions, ranging in price from about £25 to £65. Surely I could make something similar without such a hefty price tag?

Once home I rummaged through Grandma’s Box of Donated Material Scraps and picked out a few florals, pinks and blues that went together nicely. I mostly (make that entirely) improvised on the Union Jack pattern – I simply cut lots of long pieces of fabric, pressed the edges, and then did a long running stitch down the middle to attach them to the background floral material. On the blue pieces running vertically/horizontally I used a zig-zag stitch to make the cushion look even more exotic, and then added a strip of purple ribbon in each direction.

The back of the cushion is a plain, baby pink cotton, and the pattern comes from my Cath Kidston Sew! book which I adapted slightly for my own design. I think it took me about 3.5 hours altogether. Let the bidding commence!